Shop Local, Shop Sodbury was launched in June 2011 to encourage people to shop locally – and to capitalise on the expected increased footfall to the town (which on average is around 17% when a Waitrose opens). The campaign reinforces the Chamber’s message that Chipping Sodbury has a diverse range of businesses and is a great place to visit both for retail and leisure purposes.

The Chamber’s primary goal is to support all of the businesses in the town and to safeguard their future, regardless of whether they choose to join the Chamber. The message ‘Shop Sodbury, shop local’ invites people in to the town and supports everything that we are trying to achieve.

The campaign, which has encompassed local, regional and national publicity, competitions, a food festival, a jazz festival, extensive work with community organisations and “every means possible to promote Chipping Sodbury as a place to visit for business and leisure and as a place to set up shop”, has led to increased footfall, more tourism, greater awareness of the need to shop local to keep businesses alive, and a reduction in empty retail property.

More information: www.visitchippingsodbury.com

Judges’ comments:

“A great project which responded to the opening of the largest Tesco in Europe in a very positive way. The project was launched to follow an increase in footfall in the town due to the opening. Now with only 1 empty retail shop they have got tangible benefits.”

Where next?

• South of England Action for Market Towns 2012 Award winners named
• Action for Market Towns 2012 Awards
• AMT runs popular Thriving Alongside Supermarkets and Marketing Your Town workshops and training events from time to time where you can learn about techniques to market your town. Forthcoming events are here.

In January of this year we asked members about their satisfaction with AMT membership – and which services members valued most.

Many members completed our survey – a very big thank you to those who did so. We are delighted that, overwhelmingly, members rated AMT membership as even more valuable over the last 12 months than ever before.

We asked members about a range of key performance indicators including the following:

• “AMT Policy documents provide analysis that I could not find elsewhere”
• 85% of members agree – up from 72% at the start of 2011

• “AMT is an effective advocate at national level regarding policy that effects towns”
• 83% of members agree – up from 71% at the start of 2011

• “AMT staff have unrivalled knowledge of policy and practice affecting market towns”
• 87% of members agree – up from 76% at the start of 2011

• “I have been able to apply knowledge gained from attending an AMT event or downloading a report to my work”
• 100% of members who had attended an event or downloaded a report in 2011 agreed

We’ve worked harder than ever on members’ behalf in the last 12 months – and we’re thrilled that members have noticed the difference!

Improving the core member benefits

Members also told us which of the benefits of membership are most valuable to them.

By far the most valuable were our case studies; our policy analysis; our invaluable insurance offer which saves many members far more than the cost of AMT membership; and our extensive programme of events subsidised for members, which help to quickly get town centre improvement projects up and running.

We continue to add to our library of case studies for members to help them to find replicable best practice in creating thriving towns; and we’re further enhancing our unique Strategy Policy Analysis.

Members can contact the AMT office for advice (as well as use our popular online forums / LinkedIn Group / #TownMOT network on twitter); our insurance remains fantastic value; and there’s an exciting programme of forthcoming events – subsidised for AMT members – over the coming four months.

New – more special reports and how-to guides

Many members mentioned how useful they have found AMT’s Special reports in 2011 such as the Local Loyalty Report, Town Centre Comeback Guide, and our 21^st Century Towns Report. Since these have proven so popular with members, we’ll be creating further reports and ‘how-to’ guides – free to members – in 2012/13.

There’s never been a more crucial time to join Action for Market Towns

If you’re reading this as an existing member – thank you. AMT values your membership, your participation, and your feedback and suggestions in our recent survey – and we look forward to working hard on your behalf over the year ahead.

If you’re not an AMT Member – why not join AMT now to start benefiting from our full range of benefits – as you can see from above – our members value them highly – and we’d love to help you to help YOUR town(s) and high streets too. Take a look at the Benefits of membership or contact us for a no-obligation chat.

Its shops cluster around the High St and Market Hill, offering a quirky diversity of wares including bridal gowns and bicycles. The local cafés/pubs offer a range of dining and refreshments for shoppers and visitors. Historic buildings including the Manor House, the fourteenth-century Olde Mint pub and the former Craven Arms coaching inn which stand out as gems much appreciated.  Free car parking enables visitors to enjoy a longer stay.

Heritage

Heritage is hugely important and valued in this town – the rejuvenated Holy Well, the grade-one listed St James Church  and the elegant Warwick House are all worthy of a visit. Dedicated residents preserve and promote the Cardall Collection – artefacts and documents which encapsulate the town’s history over the last five hundred years. This town was granted a market charter in 1227 and today there is a popular Tuesday market, plus a Farmers’ Market once a month. Crowd-drawing events include the Mop Fair and the Christmas themed markets, as well as regular screenings of the rural cinema and concerts at the Grange Hall.

An opportunity…

In order to thrive and succeed as high streets across the country face increasing competition, the town has an invaluable opportunity to deliver real change to improve the appearance and viability of the town centre. This opportunity arises from the receipt of planning condition funds associated with the new Tesco store. This funding is solely dedicated to a range of town centre improvements including business support, shopfront enhancements, new events and community/visitor services. The main driver behind these changes is the town’s Town Centre Partnership. The partnership provides equal partnership opportunities between business owners, residents, community groups, local authorities and other local services who are responsible for the selection and delivery of robust projects which support the sustainability of the town by increasing footfall, length of stay and spend in the town centre.

What next?

• More about Town of the Week
• Nominate your town by email to jamie.veitch@towns.org.uk
• Visit the Southam Town Council and the Southam Online websites

Supermarkets plan ‘biggest store opening programme in history of retail’

The chief of Action for Market Towns – a charity representing small and market towns throughout the UK, where 20% of the population live – today reacted to new analysis from property analysts CBRE showing that supermarkets are planning their ”biggest store opening programme in the history of retail”.

Plans are to open enough new stores in the years ahead to cover 500 football pitches – with more than 80% of the new space in out-of-town developments.

Chris Wade, Chief Executive of Action for Market Towns, said:

“Continued out-of-town growth is probably the biggest threat to those still healthy high streets in our small towns. The Government-commissioned Portas Review called for an explicit presumption in favour of town centre development.

“Action for Market Towns urges Housing Minister Grant Shapps, with his newly appointed responsibility for reviving town centres, to put this town centre presumption right at the top of his resolutions for 2012 in responding to the Portas Review.”

Press enquiries: Jamie Veitch, 07904 272 200.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

1. Action for Market Towns (AMT) is a national charity committed to the vitality and viability of our small towns.
2. It has a national network of members and works with Town Councils, Community and town partnerships, emerging Local Enterprise Partnerships, Local Authorities, and independent  / selected partner businesses.
3. It offers training, consultancy, national advocacy and a range of other services to more than 400 members.
4. AMT’s response to the Portas Review is here
5. For press enquiries please contact Jamie Veitch on 07904 272 200 or email news@towns.org.uk

This report looks in detail at the cards available and wider loyalty scheme options, based on research into successful schemes across the UK.

This guide will be free to download for all until 15 July 2011. It will then be free for members and £25 for non-members.

• Read the full press release about the Local Loyalty Guide